


New Danganronpa V3: Apocalypsis

by bandsaw, MinawaKitten



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Fluff and Angst, Multi, Nonbinary Character, Panic Attacks, Suicidal Thoughts, Trans Character, a lot of them are autistic fight me, im fixing canon, lots of angst tho, other warnings will be added as the fic goes on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2019-09-18 12:07:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16994715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bandsaw/pseuds/bandsaw, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinawaKitten/pseuds/MinawaKitten
Summary: “Let’s find out, together.”Those were the last words Shuuichi said before everything started to go wrong. A smile on his face, he’d only taken a single step forwards... and immediately collapsed.(an AU where the meteorites were real and the cast wakes up to yet another living hell)





	1. Saihara

_“Let’s find out, together.”_

     Those were the last words Shuuichi said before everything started to go wrong. A smile on his face, he’d only taken a single step forwards... and immediately collapsed. His vision had started swimming, his head aching with a sudden sharp pain, but even through watery eyes he could see that Himiko and Maki had fallen to their knees as well.

     “W-What…” Shuuichi couldn’t help but hold his head in his hands. The pain was growing worse by the second, and only intensified when he looked down. The ground below him was no longer solid stone, but instead… code? His eyes widened, but before he could express his shock, another wave of exhaustion hit and he toppled to the ground completely.

… 

..

. 

_Ṡ̵͜h̴̖̗͕̒u̶̘̬̐͒̋u̷̧͑̈i̷̳̯̕͜c̴̮̖͊̈h̷͍͐͗ȋ̸͖?̵̮̩̈̎_

_S̴h̶u̵u̶i̶c̵h̷i̶.̵.̸.̴ ̷w̷a̵k̶e̶ ̸u̷p̵!̵_

_...Be patient. He’s gonna need a moment._

     Bleary eyes finally opened. Shuuichi didn’t really know what to expect once he woke up. Someone from Team Danganronpa cheerfully telling him it was all over? No, these voices were too familiar. The glass above him was frosted, but through it he could recognize the faint outlines of Maki and Himiko.

_Wait._

     Panic overcame all rational thought as his hand shot up towards the glass. His breathing quickened and outside the glass he could hear a faint beeping. A heart monitor? Everything was coming to him just a little too fast. The monitor, the tubes and wires in his arms, the breathing mask on his face, the hospital gown he was wearing, the fact that Maki and Himiko were already outside _and he wasn’t._

     Shuuichi felt his body jolt as a loud hiss dragged him out of his thoughts. The pod that encased him opened, and almost immediately Maki and Himiko worked on removing all the medical equipment. Rubbing his now sore arms, he took the hands offered to him and sat up, leaning on the back of the pod for support.

     “What’s… going on?” He looked around for anything that would tell him the three weren’t alone, that Team Danganronpa would burst in at any moment, but all he saw was a dusty room and what looked like the main doors. His eyes were drawn to that immediately. Why would Team Danganronpa need to lock them in, and in such a hurry?

     “Uh…” From the way Himiko looked off to the side, whatever news they had wasn’t good.

     “For now, it looks like we can’t get through those main doors. We’ve tried busting through, but there’s something blocking it from the other side. The only room we can get into is in the back.” Maki broke eye contact for a moment. “From the looks of it, Tsumugi wasn’t lying about the meteors.”

     “What?!” He struggled to get out of the pod, his legs horribly shaky after laying still for… however long he’d been out.

     “I… want to see.” Maki only nodded and hoisted him up.

     “Nyeh… you’re not gonna like it…” Himiko lagged behind them, fiddling with the hem of her gown.

     Before Shuuichi could say anything, a jingling sound brought his attention to his ears. Earrings? He couldn’t ever remember getting his ears pierced, but bringing a hand up, they were indeed there. From the feel of it, they were shaped like stars.

      “Hey… when’d you get your ears pierced?” Himiko and Maki looked as shocked as he felt. Curiosity shining in her eyes, Maki reached out to touch one of them.

     On pure instinct, Shuuichi jolted back and slapped her hand away. As gentle a slap as it was, the sound of it was near deafening to him. Why had he felt… so _offended_ by that? The shock was evident on  both their faces, though Maki looked more like she was about to throttle him.

     “I… I’m sorry! I don’t know why I did that!” He held his hands up almost in surrender.

     “...It’s fine.”  She refrained from throttling him, thankfully, but the odd look was still there. “Clearly there’s things we’re forgetting.” Shuuichi only nodded and followed behind Maki closely, stumbling every few steps. Passing each pod, it didn’t take long for Shuuichi to realize they were in alphabetical order. Above each pod was a small screen displaying each occupant’s name and status -- heartbeat, brian waves, and even blood pressure -- while at the foot of each pod was a transparent blue rectangular screen that listed other vital information. It was largely physical information, ranging from age, date of birth, blood type and a brief synopsis of the occupant's personal and family medical history.

     Shuuichi’s heart nearly stopped when he realized he’d passed Kaito’s. He couldn’t explain it but… something drew him to Kaito’s pod. He doubled back quickly, kneeling down in front of Kaito’s pod.

_How could he have forgotten._

     He quickly read over the blue screen. Height, weight, everything was there. The closer he got to Kaito’s medical history, the tighter his chest felt. But…

     There was nothing there.

     It was like Kaito had never been sick in his life, that whatever deadly illness he had in the game was gone, just like that. Relief washed over him. Covering his mouth with his hand, Shuichi couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. Kaito was _fine._ He’d wake up, and everything would be _fine._ His sobs only got louder, drawing Maki and Himiko’s attention. Both of them rushed over in alarm, holding Shuichi close as he clung to the pod. He could tell Maki had read the panel herself when she breathed her own sigh of relief.

     All three of them jolt when the alarms start blaring.

     Red light fills the room, and over the wailing of the alarms, Shuuichi swears he can hear a muffled scream. It was weak, but clearly panicked, and it doesn’t take long for him to figure out the source.

     “That’s from one of the pods!” Wiping the tears from his face, the three of them rush to the source, stopping dead in their tracks. Above another pod, a different screen had turned on. There was a hazy image of a body, but something was clearly horribly wrong. Much of it was missing. The left arm and leg were gone completely, and other parts that should have been there just… weren’t. Every other monitor showed his vitals rapidly dropping.

     “What the hell?” Maki’s eyes scanned over the image, trying to make some sense out of it.

     “H-How’s this guy even alive?!” Himiko had turned pale. Shuuichi was close to asking the same question when he looked down at the holo-clipboard.

_‘Iidabashi Kiibo’_

_Shit._

     “That’s Kiibo.” Maki’s hand shot forward before Shuuichi even had time to process what he’d just read. Her thumb slammed on the touchpad, but instead of the pod hissing open, a red light flashed at her instead.

_‘Access denied.’_

     “What?!” Maki shouted just as Shuuichi stepped up beside her. Before Shuuichi could say anything, Kiibo’s pale hand slapped the glass above him. The scream he let out chilled them all to the bone.

     “H-Hold on, Kiibo!” He knew there was no way Kiibo heard that, but he shouted it anyway. He dashed forward, his own hand pressing on the touchpad. Instead of the red light he expected to see, a green one flashed instead.

_‘Access granted.’_

     “...We’ll worry about that later.” The confusion of why it had accepted Shuuichi’s thumbprint quickly dissipated. Kiibo’s struggling was now much more apparent and urgent, limbs weakly banging on the lid of his pod.

     “K-Kiibo!” Shuuichi hurriedly knelt down beside his pod. The lid seemed to be taking an eternity to open, and Shuuichi could only hope Kiibo wouldn’t try to run. As weak as he was, holding back an entire robot would still be a challenge. 

     What greeted him as the pod finally opened was not a robot.

     Not even Maki could hide her shock as they stared down at a very human Kiibo. Cybernetics replaced the parts the trio hadn’t seen on the screen above them, metal covering nearly half his body and his left eye. It was certainly a sight to behold, but helping Kiibo was more of a priority than figuring out why he was human all of a sudden.

     “Sh-Shuuichi! Please, get me out! I-I can’t-” Kiibo started hyperventilating, and Shuichi had to grab onto his shoulders as he started flailing around again.

     “Kiibo, please calm down! It’s safe now, I promise.” The few wires and tubes that were on him were pulled out, and Shuuichi could see right away just how emaciated Kiibo was. His ribs were easily visible, and there was a hollowness to his cheeks that certainly hadn’t been there before.

     “Kiibo…” Shuichi slowly wrapped his arms around him, pulling Kiibo into a hug. It seemed to work, his breathing had calmed considerably, and Shuichi was able to help him sit up. But now that Kiibo could get a better look… 

     A strangled cry left him as he looked down at himself. 

     “W-What?! No, this isn’t… this is not right! I’m not…” Despite how weak he was, he leapt out of the pod with surprising speed.

     “Kiibo, hold on!” Shuuichi dove for his right arm while Maki and Himiko held his left, his metal forearm twitching and hanging limply.

      _“Let go of me!”_ Shuuichi moved so he was in front of Kiibo, keeping a strong grip on his shoulders.

    “Kiibo, please listen to me. I-I don’t know what’s going on either, but we need to- ah!” He fell back as Kiibo’s previously limp cybernetic leg suddenly shot out, hitting him right in the gut.

    “Shuuichi? I-I’m sorry, I just…” Twitching hands grip his hair as he lets out a high-pitched squeak. “I cannot…” Gritting his teeth, Kiibo’s cybernetic hand yanks hard on his hair and he jolts. Shuuichi coughs and sits up just in time to see the silvery-white strands of hair in Kiibo’s hand before he starts shaking.

     “I… I-I can’t…” Kiibo’s eyes roll into the back of his head as he starts to tilt.

     “I-I got him!” Himiko lunges forward and catches Kiibo before he hits the ground. It’s silent for a moment, the three of them still trying to process what had just happened.

     Still shaking, it was only then Shuuichi noticed the blinking red light in the center of Kiibo’s palm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hewwo? owo 
> 
> hi welcome to my totally lit ndrv3 vr au. prepare for angst
> 
> (kurochi and kenshin aren't here yet but for credits sake they both belong to @tricky-leader and @aroseandapen on tumblr! and a big thank you to minawa for being my beta. this au would be shit without ya lol)


	2. Iidabashi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hewwo welcome to chili's
> 
> WARNINGS: none really except more panic attacks and a mention of genitals but that's it. nothin nsfw obv
> 
> and yea im adding warnings before every chapter now yeehaw

 

A man like Tetsuya Iidabashi never had nor desired to make use of the public shelters. With the way he’d designed it, his lab essentially served as one on its own. By using it, he had freed up a spot in a vault for one more poor soul. In truth, he had many fears about that vault -- a vault known as Vault V3 -- but he preserved. 

The robotics genius occupied his loneliness creating and engineering tools and mechanical marvels that could help the last of humanity survive in this damaged world, ideally with as few problems as possible. Between his work -- everyday, without fail -- Tetsuya checked the monitor that diligently reported his son’s condition. Knowing that his boy was still alive was the one driving force that always propelled him forward -- until the chip implanted in his beloved son blinked out.

The one indicator his son was still alive, gone.

 All at once, it felt as if the only light left in the world had been cruelly snuffed out. Perhaps that was a very accurate descriptor of his world -- after all, this pain was one he had felt before. The first was the loss of his wife, leaving both him and their precious son behind. He had nearly lost him once before, and to lose him again, to go through the realization that his son was dead forever this time. . .

This time was too much.

His heart felt as though it had been torn from his chest and shredded before his eyes, leaving him feeling nothing but hollow and empty. The tool he had been holding clattered to the floor, his eyes filled with nothing but emptiness. And he couldn’t help but wonder. . .

. . .what was the reason for anything anymore if his beloved son was gone? Was this his punishment for not being a proper father? For not loving his son enough? For failing to protecting him in the first place?

A hundred denials, a thousand thoughts, a million possibilities and yet, it all came back to how he failed. Falling to his knees, crouching down low, Tetsuya covered his head, teeth clenched in an attempt to contemplate his life now that it was seemingly over.

Only one possibility came to him.

Death.

He certainly deserved death, right? A failure like him didn’t deserve something as lonely as life, not anymore.

With that dreadful seed planted in his mind, Tetsuya slowly rose to his feet, his mind numbly shuffling through the tools he owned in his lab. Which would be the quickest? Would a painless death be better, or did he deserve to suffer? His feet dragged forward and he passed the monitor that once reported his son’s health to him. Out of pure habit, he gives the screen one last look.

The monitor was on.

And, all at once, the voices chanting death suddenly ground to a halt. Light filled his hollow eyes once more and he couldn’t help but clasp his hands together and let the tears of joy fill his eyes. A small cry escaped him.

His _son,_ his Kiibo was _alive!_

How. . .? The chip had definitely stopped sending a signal. That would only happen if he had died and yet. . .!

No. He shouldn’t question a miracle. What the hell was the point in that? His son was alive!

And so, with this new information, he made his choice. Tetsuya Iibadshi needed to see his son, right now.

No matter the distance, no matter how far Vault V3 was from where he currently stood. He needed to see his son.

Right now.

 

* * *

 

Feet pounded on cracked asphalt. His chest burned from how long he’d been running, and the dust in the air certainly didn’t help, but he couldn’t stop now. There was nothing in his head but the drive to see his son again.   
  
Around him was a world slowly crumbling apart. The sky was a deep red, the sun barely shining on the dry earth below it, casting the world in shadow. Black, smoky clouds made the scene all the more depressing. Dust and smoke choked his lungs, and no matter where he went it always looked like something in the distance was on fire.   
  
The meteorites had spared no one. Deep craters - some small, others nearly miles wide - littered the planet. There had been time to prepare for impact, and yet. . .   
  
What precious time they did have was wasted. In Japan at least, most shelters weren’t built until the last minute, some never were built, some just never opened. Many separated families, by class or by taking children from their parents. All of it had angered Tetsuya. Bad call after bad call was made by the government. The few shelters that were built early housed only the rich. Most closed far earlier than their scheduled time, forcing those abandoned outside to face the meteorites alone. And while he hadn’t been brave enough to travel much, he had heard distant rumors of shelters full of children, completely alone and without supervision.   
  
With nearly 90% of the total population wiped off the face of the Earth, the sixteen he could reach would need all the help they could get. That made him wonder. . .   
  
Why had Kiibo’s chip shut off in the first place? Were the students no longer in stasis? Were they okay?   
  
A sudden feeling of dread consumed him, and despite the growing pain in his chest, Tetsuya only ran faster.   
  
_He needed to find Kiibo._  


* * *

 

 

 _“Old habits die hard I suppose,”_ Tetsuya thought as he stumbled over his feet and, tragically, rolled down a hill covered in dead and drying grass. Standing up on his two feet, he shook his head, chiding himself for his clumsiness. He brushed the dirt from his lab coat and reached into his bag of supplies, pulling out a hand-crank flashlight. 

With the world gone to hell, something as simple and common as batteries had become a precious commodity, along with candles. A hand-crank flashlight was as valuable to the remnants of humanity as money had once been. For Tetsuya, it was the only way to locate Vault V3. It was one of the few Vaults put together by Neo Hope's Peak Academy, built deep within a cave. Numerous path were made to keep out any trespassers that, for whatever reason, may want to tamper with the vault. Tetsuya, as someone who had had a hand in its creation, knew the correct path.

There were no signs of life, beyond the usual cave dwelling animals. Thankfully for Tetsuya, nothing went out of the way to attack him, implying the animals had not bothered or disturbed recently. For a moment, he believed everything was just fine.

He was quickly proven wrong. The moment he approached the digital keypad with his ID Card, it was very clear that someone had tampered with it. There were signs of scratches around the keypad’s frame, with one side popped off to access some wires and mechanical workings. Someone, somehow, had forced the door open. 

This could mean only one thing: an unauthorized person had breached the facility. But how? How was he not alerted of this?

Christ. When? When did this happen?

The dread he felt before swarmed him in a way unlike before, nearly drowning him in it. What now? He had to see his son, but he couldn't leave an obviously compromised card reader unattended. . .

 

* * *

 

Shuuichi wasn’t sure how to take things. A lot of it -- all of it, really -- felt unreal. Like a twisted dream he was trapped in, screaming with no chance of escape. Danganronpa was most likely not real, likely never was -- the fall of meteors and a fictional TV show where teens killed each other for entertainment couldn't both be real at the same time -- but none of that explained _why_ they were here.

Wherever here was.

Why did they end up in these pods? Even if it was computerized, who would trap them in such a horrible situation? 

. . . How many times did they go through a Killing Game? How many times did they die? How many times did they suffer through the lie that their lives are fake and created for entertainment of others, or live that foolish battle of Hope versus Despair before they broke the cycle?

Shuuichi stole another glance at the “window” to his left. The window, as Maki had called it, was a kind descriptor for it. It did show the outside world, but it was merely a screen showing security footage of an area just past some. . . cave? Wherever they were was definitely underground in some fashion.

A soft whine caught Shuuichi’s attention. He pushed his thoughts aside for the moment and looked down at the pale young man sleeping in his lap, his head resting against his chest. Shuuichi whispered a soft apology, gently stroking Kiibo’s hair as he did so.

. . . It really felt different from the synthetic hair he recalled Kiibo having in . . . in the Killing Game. Thinner and much. . . well, realer. Kiibo’s synthetic hair had been pretty close to real, but the difference was clear now. 

“You need to stop thinking.” Again, Shuuichi was pulled from his thoughts but this time by Maki. She let out a sigh, tucking her hair behind her ear. . . looking strangely awkward and uncertain.

Well, that’s different too. Even after Kaito’s “departure” she didn't look like this. Maki pouted a bit when she noticed Shuuichi was still in thought. “C’mon Shuuichi.” She mumbled. “I get it, Kiib-- Iidabashi-kun isn’t wearing underwear and it’s weird, but you can't sit there and think about it all day.”

A beat passes.

“What?” Shuuichi’s tone makes it clear that he hoped this was a joke, but Maki’s familiar and impassive expression clearly said otherwise.

“Don't tell me you didn't notice.” She sighed, her tone now laced with irritation.

“I’m not going to check if someone is wearing underwear or not!” Shuuichi replied in a shrill but hushed voice.

“He kicked you!” She hisses back. “You had a perfect view of his genitals!”

His _what._

Since when did Maki talk about body parts like that? She was usually a bit cruder than that. . . This was all getting a bit. . . uncomfortable for him. It’s too strange. How different was everyone in reality versus in the Killing Game? Thankfully, fate seemed to favor him as yet another interruption walked in before he could dwell on the thought, this time in the form of Himiko. She approached the three of them pouting, her arms limply dangling at her side.

“It’s getting pretty late. . . and I’m hungry. . . what are we going to do about eating and sleeping anyway?” Shuuichi winced. This should have been something he spent time thinking about.

“Well, we’re trapped in here for the moment.” Maki reminded her. “So, we’ll have to use our pods as beds, I guess. . .” Himiko pouted, clearly displeased about this information, but until they could move whatever was blocking the only way out, it was all they had to work with.

“You said the backroom has some rations, right?” Himiko noded. “Then, we’ll eat those for dinner after counting how much we have. We need to be careful and make sure we don't eat too much. . . but we still need enough for our bodies to recover. There is likely more food around here, but until we're healthy enough I don't think we’ll be able to clear whatever is trapping us in this room.”

Again, Himiko pouted. As terrible as it was to think about, at least when they were trapped in the Killing Game they were able to eat as much as they wanted.

“Then, I guess we gotta wake Kiibo.” Himiko looked down at him with concern.  “He needs to eat too. . . He needs a lot of it.” Truthfully,Shuuichi was a bit reluctant to do so with how obviously worn out Kiibo was, but Himiko was right. He needed to eat as well. After seeing their friend blow himself up for their sake, it was the least they could do now that he was there and alive.

“Kiibo,” Shuuichi called, gently shaking the young man. “Kiibo, wake up.”

Kiibo only let out a quiet groan, nuzzling himself further into Shuichi’s chest. A hand gripped Shuichi’s hospital gown. Agonizingly slowly, his eyes fluttered open, instinctively turning away from the light.   
  
“W-What. . .?”   
  
It didn’t take long for Kiibo to comprehend his surroundings, eyes snapping open.   
  
“What?! What’s going on?!” Limbs flailed frantically as he struggled to get himself out of Shuichi’s hold, legs kicking out wildly.   
  
“Let me go!”

The instant Kiibo began to panic, Shuuichi let go, but that didn’t spare him from getting hit in the face by a foot. His head shot back in pain, though he didn’t entirely mind - this was a hell of a change from what Kiibo was familiar with. Still, he had to do something, and quickly.  
  
“Stop freaking out.” Maki glared, grabbing Kiibo by his forearm. 

Something _not_ like that.   
  
“M-Maki! I-I dont think--” Shuuichi babbled, anxiously sweating. There was no telling what Kiibo would have done, but he was well aware touching him was not the appropriate reaction.

What he didn’t expect was for Kiibo to shriek his lungs out.

  
He flailed harshly once more, finding Maki and shoving her away.   
  
_”Let me go!”_ Kiibo’s struggling rolled him off Shuuichi’s lap, finding himself landing harshly on the floor. Shuuichi winced on Kiibo’s behalf and Himiko frowned, giving Maki a subtle side-eye.

“Maki. . .” Himiko frowned.  
“I was trying to help.” She growled, teeth grinding together. Himiko only sarcastically muttered about how “good” of a job she did.   
  
Shuuichi, however, was busy occupied with Kiibo. With Kiibo so skittish, he wasn’t sure how to help, but. . . leaving Kiibo like this didn’t sit well with him.

“K-Kiibo, everything is okay.” Shuuichi knelt down and tentatively laid a hand out, not touching Kiibo but leaving it close enough to try and provide comfort. “I-I mean, we’re not entirely sure about some things, but we’re still your friends. You don’t have to be afraid of us.”

“No! No, it’s not okay! I. . .” Shaking, Kiibo looked down at his arms. One metal, one human. Thoughts were flowing through him a mile a minute, but one in particular stood out.  
  
. . .What was he?   
  
What the _hell_ was he?   
  
The question plagued his mind, repeating itself over and over to the point he couldn’t help but let out another piercing scream.   
  
“I don’t understand! None of this makes any sense!” Hands went to tug at his hair once more. “What is this?! What happened to me?!”

“K-Kiibo!” Shuuichi shot forward for just a moment before he knelt back on his ankles. It hurt his heart that he couldn’t touch Kiibo, couldn’t hold or protect him, but he was well aware that would only scare him more. He sighed, arms falling back to his sides.  
  
“I. . . I don’t know. . .” Shuuichi weakly admitted, feeling like the most useless person in the world in that moment. “But. . . you’re still you. You’re still Kiibo.”

It likely wasn’t much help, but at the end of the day, that _was_ the complete and absolute truth. No matter how he appeared on the outside, he was still Kiibo. Somehow, though, that did seem to reassure him. Kiibo was still shaking, and heavily so, but he wasn’t screaming. It was clear to Shuuichi that despite his fear, Kiibo was attempting to calm himself.   
  
“We woke up here not long ago and one of the pods, the one you were in, needed to do an emergency release because your vitals were dropping.”   
  
“It was scary. We already lost you once. . . I don’t wanna do that again, so. . .” Himiko trailed off, but it was clear what she meant.

“You really worried us.” Shuuichi gently added. “Are you able to eat? Even just a little bit?”

“I. . .” Impulsively Kiibo grabbed onto Shuuichi’s arm, desperate for some form of human contact. He was shaking, breaths still uneven and rapid. Shuuichi's heart felt warm and yet twisted with pain at his friend's terrified state. He was hesitant to lay a hand on him even for a moment.  
  
“Am I really still. . .” Blurry eyes looked back down at his arms. His left looked strikingly similar to how it looked in the game, save for a blinking light in the center of his palm and less bulky metal plating. His right was. . . human. Tears threatened to spill over his eyes and he shut them tight. But at the mention of food, a sharp pain ripped through him, and his arms left Shuuichi to wrap around his stomach.   
  
“W-What?!” Despite his rising panic -- _was_ that _what pain felt like?_ \-- he took a few breaths to calm himself. “Please, I. . . just a moment. I. . . need to process all of. . . _this.”_   
  
"That's fine, I'm sure this is a lot to take in. . . still, can I hug you Kiibo?" Shuuichi’s hand rose slowly, hovering near his friend’s shoulder.

“. . .Please.” Kiibo curled in on himself some more, pain lacing through him once again. Slowly arms wrapped around him, pulling him close. Despite his pain, he let out a deep breath, secure in Shuuichi’s arms. Maki and Himiko only glanced at each other, leaving to take stock on what food they did have.

“Why does this. . .” Shuuichi couldn’t help but gently rub his shoulder and softly press his head against the other’s.  
  
“If I had to guess, you’re hungry and that’s your body telling you.”

“But I don’t--“ Kiibo shuddered, taking another deep breath. He could deny it all he wanted, but he wasn’t a robot anymore.   
  
The thought alone terrified him.   
  
He just barely held back a sob. Something so normal to them was something that terrified him. Kiibo couldn’t help but feel a little jealous, but he shoved that thought out of his head immediately. He was sure the others had their own things to adjust to. It wasn’t their fault he was. . . whatever he was.   
  
“Um. . . is it alright if I’m. . . a-alone for a bit?” Kiibo repeated his earlier request. “I’ll. . . catch up in a few minutes.”

Shuuichi nodded his head understandingly and gently eased Kiibo out of his arms, helping him into a sitting position so he could at least relax while he got his thoughts together.  
  
“We’ll be in the back if you need us, okay?” Shuuichi gave his friend a smile before joining the two young women in the back room. Waiting in the back room were numerous shelves of supplies, ranging from canned and preserved food, some spare blankets, candles, plastic plates and utensils, and even some solo campfire stoves.   
  
There wasn’t much food however, only a weeks worth at best for two people. Whatever this room was set up for, it was only for short-term stays.   
  
“Let’s start with something thin today.” Maki grabbed two of the single-serve cans of soup and  one of the solo stoves. “We just woke up and shoving something into us like those canned meats would only make us sick.”

Maki shoved some of the utensils aside to find a pot. She glanced it over with furrowed brows. It wouldn’t be much but in their current state, half a can for each of them should be enough for now.

 

* * *

 

Kiibo only nodded back at Shuuichi, leaning against the wall. He was still for a few moments before an idea came to him. He felt incredibly weak, but slowly, very slowly, he stood up, one hand dragging up the wall. It wasn't much of a surface to grab on to, and he could feel his knees nearly about to cave in, but. . .  
  
He had to know what he looked like.   
  
Nearby was a bathroom, and in it, a mirror. It was close enough for Kiibo to walk to, as weak as he was. On shaky legs, he made his way to it, limping on his metal leg.

What he saw made him nearly collapse in fear.  
  
He was a mess. Metal plating covered Kiibo nearly head to toe, most of it eerily similar to how he'd looked in the game. The entirety of his left arm and right leg were metal. Dented plating, but inhuman all the same. There was scarring on his shoulder and thigh where the metal made contact with skin. His right eye was cybernetic as well, and just like in the game, a black line went from the plating around his eye to his chest. Kiibo didn't want to look, but he was sure there was plating there, too.   
  
It was too much.   
  
Kiibo could feel his panic returning. Who was this, staring back at him? That wasn't Kiibo, not the Kiibo he knew. Kiibo was a robot. This. . . he didn’t know what to call this. Teeth clenched together almost painfully, tears pricking at the corner of the only eye he could cry out of. It repeated in his head over and over again.   
  
_He was an abomination. He was an abomination. He would always be an abomination-_   
  
Eyes shut tight as he screamed once more, the metal hand pulling back and shattering the glass in front of him. Kiibo fell to his knees, loud, harsh sobs wracking his body as he knelt in the glass.

 

* * *

 

Maki remained undisturbed by the scream -- her talent as an assassin, real or not, trained her to not pay much attention to something as simple as that -- and so she continued to watch the soup as it cooked over the small, pitiful fire. Himiko looked to Shuuichi in search of advice on what to do now and, eyes wide as she stood up, and again he awkwardly finds himself forced to take charge.   
  
Shuuichi hurried out of the back room and into the main room once more. Kiibo isn’t there, but he does notice the door to the small bathroom open. Inside, on his knees among the shards of glass, is Kiibo, crying in utter despair and heartbreak.   
  
"K-Kiibo?" Shuuichi gently called, easing closer to his friend but not close enough to send him into another panic. Shuuichi wrings his hands, uncertain of what to do with them at this point. He wants to ask if everything okay but clearly, nothing is okay. Shuuichi bites his lip before deciding to carefully settle on his knees, close to his friend and completely disregarding the glass as he does so.

 _"Stay back!"_ Kiibo backed himself against the wall, glass pricking his skin. The sudden movement made the room spin, making him hyperventilate as he banged his head against the floor.   
  
"I. . . I'm sorry Shuuichi. Please understand, I just. . . I can't do this! _I can't!"_ Kiibo broke, sorrow pouring out of him through his tears. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. "I don't want this! I'm not even supposed to be awake, l-let alone human! Is that what I am now?! I can't. . ."

And Shuuichi isn’t certain what to say to that. What was he supposed to say when the entire suicide plan -- the insane plan he lead -- completely and utterly failed in their faces, and the people they fought so hard to end a cruel game for aren’t even dead? How is anyone supposed to respond to that?  
  
“. . . None of us are.” Shuuichi sighed, a sweaty hand grabbing at the hospital gown he’s wearing. He struggles to find words to apologize for the pain he’s putting his friend through right now. . . but no words come. Instead Shuuichi bows forward, planting his hands on the ground and his forehead touching the dirty floor. All he has now are his actions.

The dogeza. It’s the deepest bow anyone could perform in Japanese culture to show the true depth of an apology to another person.  
  
”It was my plan to kill ourselves to end the Killing Game and yet, we’re still alive. Alive in a world that itself is dying. I’m so sorry . . .”

 Kiibo's tears slow to a stop once Shuuichi bows. Kiibo had failed, woken up in a completely different body. . . and _Shuuichi_ was the one apologizing?   
  
". . .What? Sh-Shuuichi. . ." Another sob escapes him as he presses his forehead to Shuuichi's, a hand laying itself on his shoulder.   
  
"Please don't apologize. Please. None of this. . . none of this was ever your fault. I-I don't think any of us expected we would ever see the light of day again, but. . . we're here now." Taking a deep breath, Kiibo sat back up.   
  
"I'm. . . sorry I panicked like that. It was. . . out of my nature to do so, I know. I'm just. . ." He laughs nervously. "This is all so different. I had to have been like this before. . . the Killing Game happened, but I don't remember any of it. It. . . scared me. It still does, being like this. I'm just glad I'm not alone." Kiibo takes a shaky breath, giving Shuuichi a smile. It's nervous and barely even there, but there’s a glimmer of hope in his eyes along with it.

Shuuichi hadn’t expected Kiibo to make him lift his head or even touch him of his own volition with the way he’s been behaving since he woke up. It was a nice feeling. A feeling that told him, that despite everything, Kiibo trusted him.  
  
“If you didn’t panic at all, I think I’d be way more worried.” Shuuichi weakly laughed, tears in the corner of his eyes. He hastily tried to wipe them away but as their situation truly sank in, he felt a new wave of hopelessness coming on. They’d all have to deal with the consequences of their actions now. Even if Shuuichi himself hadn’t killed anyone, he might as well have.

  
_“You’ll always be alone Kokichi.”_

  
After that horrible fifth trial and the investigation for the sixth trial, so much about Kokichi came to light. His self loathing, his fears and insecurities. He’d violently attacked them with no remorse, pushing him to that final breaking point where he usurped the Mastermind and organized his own death, planning to completely destroy the Killing Game. There was still a conflict within Shuuichi, one side angry over what he had done, the other pitying him. And yet, there was another part of him telling him he’d forgotten something important.   
  
Beyond that, deep in his heart, he knows he’s done something completely unforgivable.

". . .Shuuichi? Is everything alright?" Kiibo attempts to bring Shuuichi out of his thoughts despite his own lingering fears. Seeing someone as strong as Shuuichi wipe his own tears away was nothing short of concerning.   
  
"We'll be. . . fine! Once everyone wakes up we can.." . . .What _would_ they do once everyone woke up? They all would at some point, and Kiibo wasn’t naive enough to believe they would all be friends again. These were people that had killed each other, people that shouldn't be alive in any regard. Just because they were all alive didn't mean everything was fine - in a way, that was worse. He doubted any of them would kill again, but that didn't mean there still wouldn't be conflicts. And they were trapped here, as far as he knew.   
  
". . .I'm sorry." Glass cracking under his knees, he leaned forward and pulled Shuuichi in for a hug.

Christ. Everyone waking up is going to be a nightmare. A long horrible nightmare. Shuuichi isn’t even sure how to feel about Kaito waking up. Of course he wanted to see him again, but he’s going to be so disgusted and ashamed of him if he finds out he lead a mass suicide. Why wouldn’t he? He handled Ryouma’s death so poorly after all.   
  
Fear grips Shuuichi’s chest, suffocating him and reducing him to a pathetic trembling form, and he’s so thankful that Kiibo pulls him into a hug. Shuuichi clings to him, rubbing his face against his shoulder. Strangely, something about that was. . . very familiar. Like he’s hugged someone like this before. He can’t think much on it before Kiibo is speaking again.

“Shuuichi. . .” He couldn’t help but feel terrible for Shuuichi. He couldn’t imagine what was going through his head, but it was clear as day he was being consumed by guilt. Guilt that, as far as Kiibo knew, was unwarranted. Out of all of them, Shuuichi was by far one of the bravest. Laying his head on top of Shuuichi’s, Kiibo holds him tighter at that realization.   
  
“Shuuichi. . . I can’t thank you enough. I can’t say I know what you’re thinking about right now, but. . . you’ve done so much. For all of us. I. . . hope you know that.”

Shuuichi doesn’t respond. He was guilty - he sentenced so many people to death. . . and if his theory that they've been trapped in the Killing Game for multiple cycles. . . then, perhaps, he sentenced people to death over a hundred times, or even committed a murder himself only to suffer a horrifically cruel and disgusting execution.  
  
He can’t help but think about how different everything could have been if he let a murderer get away and the killing stopped because they all woke up. And they woke up sooner and maybe things could have been different. Maybe they would be trapped in this room. Maybe they could have found help. . . or found family.   
  
God. He hopes. He desperately hopes his cousin Miyoko and his aunt and uncle are okay. And his parents. Even if their relationship is poor and they havent seen each other in a while. . . he still doesnt want them to die at the end of the world.

“. . .S-Shuuichi?” This was. . . worrying, to say the least. What was going through that head of his? Shaking his head, Kiibo gave a light tap to Shuuichi’s shoulder. As much as Kiibo admired Shuuichi’s intelligence, sometimes he was too smart for his own good. “Um. . . Shuuichi, please look at me.”

It took several moments before Shuuichi even realized Kiibo was calling out for him. He blinked, tears gathering again in the corners of his golden eyes.  
  
"Y-Yes?" His voice wobbled as it came out, and after clearing his throat he tried again, this time sounding a bit meeker. Kiibo frowned, pulling Shuuichi back into the hug. It was so rare to see him break like this, and while he wouldn’t admit it, it scared him   
  
“I. . . want you to listen to me.” A hand goes to his hair, stroking it gently. He wasn’t entirely sure the gesture would be welcomed, but it was all he could think of doing. Surprisingly, Shuuichi eagerly accepted it. A small content sound escaped him as he leaned into Kiibo’s touch just a bit. At least until he realized, yes, the other was still talking to him. His cheeks glow a bright red color and he sat up just a little taller.   
  
“O-Okay. . . I’m listening,” He assures the other, and for once, Kiibo’s smile is confident.   
  
“Good.” Instead of looking Shuuichi in the eyes, however, Kiibo pulls him back close so his head rests against his shoulder.   
  
“I just want you to know that. . . I-I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for us. I think you are one of the bravest people I’ve ever met, and I think I have a lot to learn from you. I. . . know it’s hard, now that we’re all waking up, but please don’t forget you’re not alone. I trust you, Shuuichi. I think I always will. So. . . I hope you trust us too.”

The moment Kiibo said he that, he was ready to correct him, say there were far more people braver than him, but he holds his tongue. He shouldn’t discredit Kiibo’s feelings and, to be honest, it was flattering to know someone thought so highly of him. A beat of hesitation passes and Shuuichi hugs Kiibo tightly. “You’re pretty incredible yourself too. . . I’m really glad you’re here with us. Like Himiko said, I was scared to think we lost you forever. . . but you’re here now and . . . your life is precious too Kiibo, okay?”

“R-Really?” Kiibo’s hands slap his cheeks, face turning red and a high-pitched noise escaping him. _That_ he hadn’t expected.   
  
“Ah, t-thank you, Shuuichi. That m-means a lot, really.” Another quiet moment passes before Kiibo suddenly groans, slamming his hands over his eyes.   
  
“Y-You’ve made my face all hot! I-Is this what blushing feels like?!” True to his word, his cheeks were now beet red. And while he could blush as a robot - and had - experiencing that as a human was different.

Shuuichi leans back just a bit to see Kiibo’s face himself, and he can’t help but bring a closed fist to his mouth and quietly laugh into it. Even like this, with the differences — and similarities — to the robot he’s come to know, Kiibo is still quite a sight to behold.  
  
“Yes, it looks quite adorable on you.” Shuuichi smiles.

“A-Adorable?!” If it were possible, his face got even redder. Kiibo let out a squeal, pulling up the hem of his gown over his mouth. Adorable. That was. . . new.   
  
“Sh-Shuuichi! Y-you can’t just say something like that!” As insulted as he tried to sound, he couldn’t stop the giddy smile from slowly spreading. Shuuichi failed to stop his own blush from spreading.

Oh. Oh no. The squeal was adorable. _Ooooh noooo._   
  
“S-Sorry.” He mumbled, glancing away with bright red cheeks. “I always thought you had some pretty cute traits and looked rather adorable. . . I thought, perhaps you would like to hear me vocalize this now. I mean, the truth of the matter hasn’t changed.”

Kiibo couldn’t help himself: he laughed. A rather joyful giggle, especially given their situation.   
  
“Shuuichi, y-you’re so. . . so. . .” He couldn’t finish, nearly doubling over with how much he was giggling.   
  
“I-I think right now, you’re the one acting adorable.” Again Kiibo covered his cheeks, still laughing.

Oh no.

Shuuichi was going to have a heart attack. He grabbed his chest in an overly dramatic fashion, softly whispering; _"Adorable,"_ before he too breaks out into soft laughter. Despite how much he's embarrassing himself now, he's more than happy to see Kiibo smiling again and not breaking down in a panic.   
  
"Ahem." The two young men stop their antics to find Maki standing at the doorway, Kiibo’s laughter coming to a halt. They stare back as she held the pot by the handle,  stirring the soup inside it. She gives them a twice as hard look before simply saying the soup was ready and walking off.

Food. He didn’t know why, but the thought of having to actually ingest something made him nervous. Of course, he’d expressed he’d wanted to eat in the Killing Game, but that was when he was a robot. This was much more natural and sudden, and he wasn’t sure he liked that. It did smell good, but that alone made his stomach tighten. A quiet moan escaped Kiibo as he curled in on himself.   
  
“I. . . I know I need to, but. . . I don’t know if I. . .” He trailed off as another wave of pain hit him. Was he really that malnourished?

"Just try as much as you can." Shuuichi said with a gentle smile, rubbing his shoulder. "We were on tubes while in the pods, so while they feed the body, they’re not exactly the greatest source of any nutrients we need. We're all still a bit weak from that."

“. . .Okay.” Kiibo took a deep breath. As much as he didn’t care for eating, he’d die without it. Death itself wasn’t as daunting to him anymore, and for a brief moment he wondered what the point of being alive in such a clearly dismal world was. But. . . no, he couldn’t do that to Shuuichi. If he knew Shuuichi as well as he thought he did, Kiibo knew he’d blame himself instantly. Starving to death wasn’t exactly a desirable way to go, either.   
  
“Uh, could you. . . help me up? I’m afraid I’m having trouble standing on my own.”

Shuuichi smiled, taking one of Kiibo's arms and throwing it over one of his shoulders, wrapping his free arm around Kiibo's waist. Standing up slowly, he lead the way to the back room where Maki poured out a serving of soup for the two of them into plastic bowls. Shuuichi helped Kiibo lean against a wall and brought his food over to him.   
  
Quietly, the four young adults ate their meal. 

 

* * *

  
Tetsuya let out a shaky sigh of relief as the steel doors before him finally rumbled and eased open, revealing the entrance foyer of Vault V3. It took some some time, but he’d repaired and reprogrammed the keycard lock. While it would require some extra fortification, he could attend to that at a later time.   
  
If someone bypassed the security, they could very well still be inside the vault and there's no telling what changes they may have done to the system in that time.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> february is. my absolute worst month bc holy fuck school is kicking my ass so chapter three won't be coming out that soon lol
> 
> anyway hope ya liked it comments are my lifeblood
> 
> bye


	3. gokuhara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heeho wow it's been a while.
> 
> anyway. gonta wakes up. gonta is not ok
> 
> WARNINGS: shuu gets a baby bit more suicidal here and shit hits the fan for a bit. mega angst

Sleep is. . . hard . . . Shuuichi decides after spending hours upon hours staring at the ceiling. The pods dont necessarily work as beds but it's the best in their current situation -- somehow, both Maki and Kiibo had fallen asleep and judging by the sounds of Himiko's shuffling, she isnt fairing much better with the bedding -- but it's more than discomfort that keeps him awake.

 

It's. . . It's just so much more. . . Everything they struggled through was basically. . . pointless in the end. No one had truly died after all. So, was their suffering real? Probably not. Honestly, he wasn’t sure. It's not long before a numb static resurfaces, leaving him with an old familiar feeling. A longing for death. The world is a mess and trapped in this room, how much longer until they all die, trapped here? 

 

A shaky sigh escapes Shuuichi, wrapping his arms around his waist. He wishes he could feel the familiar warmth and comfort of his cat Kuro in his arms. . . but, is she even alive in this world?

 

...

The sound of shattering glass would have been enough to pull anyone from their thoughts. Blaring alarms filled the room with their ear-shattering wailing, the red blinking lights doing little to help anyone still trying to sleep. A scream followed, almost primal yet high enough to cut through the sound of the alarms. Whoever it was happened to be strong enough to punch through the glass of the pods. The sound of fists on metal and the terrible screech of the lid tearing only added to the chaos.

 

With a final and particularly loud bang the lid was off, skidding across the floor. A rather large figure was quick to roll out of the pod, crowding themselves back between their pod and another's.

The swirling depressive thoughts came skidding to a halt with the complete and utter chaos occurring several pods over. Tears in the corners of his eyes, Shuuichi let out a shriek of absolute terror and fumbled out of his pod, hitting the floor in a heap. Himiko let out a yelp, hitting the floor as well while Maki jumped from her pod with much more grace than either of them could muster.

 

But. . . It strangely wasn’t enough. There was still some sloppiness to her motions, as if they were unpracticed. Nevertheless, she pressed her body to the floor, crouching in a defensive position as she tried to figure out who is going wild at the moment.

 

Red eyes blinked through the haze of flashing lights.

...Where was he?

 

Nothing made sense. These blinding lights shouldn't be here, this dark and dusty room shouldn't be here, he shouldn't even be  _ alive, _ he should be burning-

 

Gonta's hands slap over his ears, another sharp screech from the alarms briefly cutting through his panic. A whine escaped through his shaking breaths. Where the hell was he? His eyes darted around wildly, but there were no answers to his many questions-

 

_ -he was being executed why isn't he dead- _

 

Nails dug into his scalp as teeth ground themselves together. Gonta's head was pounding, his mind trying to make sense of what very obviously made no sense at all. It only worsened when he let his head fall and bang against the floor. He managed to find his voice to get out one simple sentence:

 

"Turn it off!"

Shuuichi is hit with too many feelings at once when he hears that voice. He’s filled with happiness to see that Gonta had woken up so quickly, but that is quickly followed with guilt. This panic and fear consuming him must be the result of the execution he sent him to in a confused and vulnerable state of mind. 

 

“I don’t see a switch!” Himiko shouted over the loud noises. 

 

Well, that would be a problem. Maybe he can talk to him? That would be a danger with how erratic and unpredictable Gonta was acting but it was their best possible bet at the moment. Shuuichi gulps before he shuffles out of his hiding spot, carefully approaching the taller male as quietly as he could to avoid frightening him.

More noises. Perfect. 

 

Gonta whines and curls in further on himself. The part of his brain that still worked was mindful of a dull pain in his hand, but he couldn't be bothered to check it right now. All he wanted was for those damn alarms to shut up. He didn't even notice Shuuichi was there until he happened to glance up and see his shadow. 

 

Even with how quiet Shuuichi was, Gonta still slammed himself back with a quiet growl before he could stop himself. How was Shuuichi here? Where was here? He couldn't stop the tears anymore. The sirens still hurt, but not as much as his own head did. 

 

"W-What... Where...?" Breath stuttering in his chest, Gonta hung his head, unable to look at anything except the floor.

Shuuichi paused his steps the moment his eyes connected with Gonta. He honestly had no idea how the other would respond to him after basically sending him off to his death. 

 

Thankfully Gonta didn’t do anything. Not to him, anyway. Watching the other  haphazardly throw himself around didn’t sit well with him. His hand slaps against the pod to balance himself while the other touches Gonta in an attempt to try and help calm him down.

 

Emphasis on try.

The sirens finally turned off.

 

Very hesitantly, Gonta finally looked up. The room was a bit brighter now, but there still weren't many clues as to where they were, besides the fact that he was wearing a very uncomfortable hospital gown. His gaze happens to shift over to Shuuichi just as-

 

_ -he's touching him. _

 

Eyes widen as he screams again, a hand lashing out at Shuuichi's own. Nails catch the skin, not enough to draw blood but scaring Gonta enough to quickly pull away. His breathing still heavy, he stared at Shuuichi in shock. "D-Don't... I- G-Gonta's... very sorry..."

Everything happened a little too fast — the fear in Gonta’s eyes, the shout and the movement of his hand. It was clearly an accident but the jerking motion still caused Shuuichi to lose his balance and smash his head on the side of the pod. He managed to get out a meek “I’m okay.” before giving Gonta an awkward smile to prove just that.

 

However, that would not spare Gonta of the fury that is Maki Harukawa. His actions already had her on the defense and smashing Shuuichi’s head only served to upset her. The only thing keeping her at bay was Himiko who was arguing it was clearly an accident.

 

But, Christ, if looks could kill.

It came barreling at once. The two pods he'd squished himself between blocked him from seeing most of the room, but not Maki. Maki was very much within view, and it only took a second of glancing up at her for him to look down in shame. He didn't even bother questioning where the rest of their class was.

 

"N-No, Gonta's... Gonta's so, so sorry..." Hurting Shuuichi wasn't the only thing he was apologizing for. It had only been seconds ago - or at least it felt like seconds - that he was paying for his crimes. Now he was just... back. Apologizing for what he'd done was the least he could do. Even that didn't feel anywhere near good enough. Sobbing, he clenched his hands together, wincing at a now sharp pain in his palm. Opening his hand revealed a shard of glass embedded in his flesh. The blood didn't bother him as much as it should have.

“It’s okay.” Shuuichi gently speaks. He carefully pats Gonta’s hand, trying his best to calm him down without triggering a panic attack. “It’s really confusing, right?”

"Gonta should be dead..." Even if it wasn't real anymore, he could still feel the terrible warmth of the fire on his skin, a burn more intense than anything he'd ever felt before in his life. The last thing he'd seen before he blacked out was the claw of that giant bug going straight through him. One last burst of pain as he died, caused by something he loved. Was that what irony was? He wasn't quite sure he understood.

 

"Why... what's going on?" Gonta mustered up the strength to look Shuuichi in the eye, even as tears streamed down his face.

“We. . . We all should be. . .” Shuuichi sighs. He hugs himself and takes a few moment to assemble the worlds to even try and explain what’s going on. “I. . . I did something horrible and talked everyone into killing themselves because. . . it seemed like the better option. . . but it. . . It didn’t work out.” He laughed, his voice strained. “We woke up here, but we don’t even know where here is. Isn’t that pathetic?”

“I-It wasn’t... real?” Gonta tilted his head in confusion. It still didn’t make much sense. It couldn’t have been a dream, because it definitely felt real... but somehow it wasn’t. “Gonta doesn’t... really understand.” 

 

He didn’t understand their situation, but something was very obvious - they were alive. Gonta didn’t understand that either, or at the very least how that was possible. Still, he had no choice but to accept it. “Wait- it didn’t work?” Killing everyone would mean they would all be dead. Clearly they weren’t. 

 

“...Is that bad? W-We’re all alive, right?” Curious, Gonta stood up shakily, wiping his eyes and leaning onto his now broken pod for support. Surrounding his pod were many others, very few of them open, meaning everyone else was... asleep, or something close to it. 

 

As much as part of him begged to just get his execution over with, to not have to live through the pain of understanding whatever the hell was going on right now, the other still had hope. 

 

“Mmm… Gonta doesn’t know. Is this… a second chance?”

That’s questionable at best. The screen in the storage room can show them a bit of the outside world via cameras but it hasn’t shown them anything good. Just. . . the end of the world. The very same thing Gonta attempted to mercy kill them to avoid revealing it.

 

Oh God. If he finds out that one lie is actually true, what’s going to stop him from mercy killing them yet again?

 

“It’s. . . um, like virtual reality. . .?” Shuuichi struggles to explain. “It felt real but it turns out that it wasn’t and no one knew. . .”

 

But is this good? 

 

His eyes drift over to Kaito and  Ouma’s pods and he’s instantly smothered with tears and agony. Surely, neither of them will forgive him. For cruelly damning Ouma-kun to a cruel and unusual death where he probably felt alone and sad in his final moments. For sending the person he loved to his death and betraying his belief and expectations in him by choosing death. There’s no way Momota-kun wouldn’t be disgusted and disappointed in him. 

 

“I. . . I don’t know. . .”

“A-Ah, um... maybe this isn’t good right now.” Gonta hung his head. Maybe it could be once everyone woke up... then again, there was nothing stopping them from just murdering each other a second time. Still, if everyone was alive, then...

 

“Ouma-kun!” He had to know if he was awake. It didn’t look like it, unless he’d somehow slept through those awful alarms, yet Gonta still whipped around to look for him. Nothing. “I-Is he still... asleep?”

“Who cares about that piece of shit.” Maki harshly cuts in. She’ll be damned if she has to listen to anything about that little bastard. She knows Himiko and Shuuichi will sympathize with him and Gonta was too good of a person to simply ignore him, much less accept that he’s a waste of space. “Hopefully he’ll remain in a coma due to the way he died. Its probably too much of a shock for his body to function again.” She states this like it’s fact and honestly, she doesn’t care. He had this sort of end coming after all.

“...Died?” Gonta couldn’t help but stare at Maki in shock. Kokichi had died? He knew Maki hadn’t liked Kokichi from the very start, but... that was too far. He didn’t even want to think about how terrible his death must have been. 

 

“N-No, that’s not right! You shouldn’t say such terrible things about him!” He made himself move forward, away from the safety of his pod. Looking down, it was hard to miss the names written on their pods. Gonta moved along as quickly as he was able to, stopping at the one with Kokichi’s name on it. Frowning, he leaned over to try and look through the little window. There was nothing he could see - maybe the outline of a head if he looked hard enough. “...He can’t hear us, can he?”

“He can eat shit and die for all I care.” Maki firmly states. She was in no way holding back her dislike for the comatose male. Exhausted and tired, Shuuichi gives her a look that begs for her to drop it. Judging by the look she shoots back, she’d rather not, but because of their friendship she does.

 

Thank Christ.

 

Nevertheless, Himiko silently approaches Gonta. She awkwardly stands beside him, looking at Ouma’s pod. She, like many others, doesn’t have the highest image about him but the way Maki talks about him is cruel. His methods may not have been the best and sometimes he said some really cruel or stupid things, but even she can see that he wanted them to live. And she’s bad at noticing details like that. 

 

Upon hearing Gonta’s question she sighs and glances over to Angie and Tenko’s pods.

 

Angie was strange at times but she had good intentions too in her own mysterious ways. And Tenko. . . she was good too, just came on really strong in more ways than one. She did want to help her after all, despite how she reacted sometimes.

 

. . . She misses them both. . .

 

“I dunno, but I’ve talked to them anyway. Maybe they really can hear us.” She sighs.

He almost misses how the glass crumbles beneath his fingers. It should have hurt, but hearing Maki be so flippant with her insults hurts more. Himiko being so kind, if awkward, was only a small help. But Gonta says nothing - fighting would only make things worse, as much as he wanted to defend Kokichi. Instead he keeps his gaze on the pod. 

 

“...Gonta hopes they can.” Gonta knew they probably couldn’t. He certainly hadn’t heard anything, but he could hope. “Ouma-kun? If you can hear me... Gonta’s still your friend.”

Himiko isn’t sure how to feel about Gonta saying that to Ouma, but it’s not like she understood their relationship. Maybe it was way more genuine than she thought.

 

That train of thought ends when there’s the sound of something shattering coming from the back room. It takes Himiko a moment to notice that Maki was no long present, meaning she must have slipped into the back room while Gonta was occupied with Ouma’s pod. 

 

Never mind that Shuuichi seemed to be on the verge of a breakdown or something. Or maybe she’s no better for not paying attention. . .

 

But Maki emerges from the room with a first aid kit in hand.

 

“Gonta,” she calls, her voice cold and steady. “Get back here.”

Gonta jumps at the sound, whirling to stare a little wide-eyed at Maki. The sound of shattering glass shouldn’t have frightened him as much as it did, but he nodded. He was about to go over when he saw how utterly frightened Shuuichi looked. 

 

...He really had missed a lot. Shuuichi had always been pretty shy, but there was a strength to his character Gonta had always admired. Now he just looked broken. 

 

“But...” He wanted to help, but not listening to Maki seemed like a bad idea. “...Okay.” Gonta shot a glance over at Himiko, unsure of what to do. Slowly and carefully, he made his way over.

Himiko looks as helpless as he does. Honestly, she doesn’t want to deal with Maki either. She thought maybe she could back in the Killing Game — and maybe it was entirely the situation that made their collaborative efforts work — but the feeling just didn’t exist here in reality. She’s been nothing but mean and aggressive, sometimes flipping to a softer personality which only confuses her more.

 

As for Maki, she rolls her eyes and yanks Gonta closer to her before pointing to the bathroom door. “Clean your hands.” She simply states. “Wash them before I bandage you up.”

Watching the two of them, Himiko looks back to Kiibo — wondering how he could sleep through this and wishing he was awake to help with Shuuichi. Shuuichi seemed to like his company a lot. So, while keeping an eye on Shuuichi, she carefully sidesteps closer to Kiibo’s pod and gives him a poke in his stomach.

 

Kiibo was passed out. It was almost concerning how he’d slept through not only Gonta’s screaming but those awful alarms. One touch was enough to shake him from his blissful sleep. He jolted awake with a start, staring up at Himiko blearily. As far as he was concerned, that had been his first real nap. “Y-Yumeno-chan? Did something happen?”

 

“I’m surprised that worked.” She mumbles before pointing over to Shuuichi’s trembling form, crouched over by one of the pods. “He likes you more.” Is all she says about that. It’s really fucking helpful. 

 

“Huh? Surprised what worked?” Kiibo sat up, not used to feeling so sluggish. He rubbed at his one human eye, looking around. The lid of a pod on the floor with glass scattered around it made him jump. 

 

“H-Huh?! What happened?!” He could see the room much better now that he was more awake... including Shuuichi.

“Gonta woke up and went, well, on a rampage I guess.” Himiko explains. “He, uh,” she glances over to his pod and notes how the glass of the cover was shattered. “He punched his pod and a bunch of alarms went off too.” Her voice trailed off a bit as Kiibo nodded and stumbled out of his pod, approaching Shuuichi with trepidation. 

 

“Saihara-kun? What’s wrong?” Kiibo spoke softly and shakily knelt down, doing his best to not scare the poor detective.

 

There were tears in his golden eyes and he was holding his legs as his body trembled, mumbling something to himself. It takes him a few moments to even realize Kiibo was in front of him. 

 

“I-Iidabashi-kun?”

“I-I’m here.” Kiibo gave him a nervous smile. “Is, uh... you don’t look okay. I know Gokuhara-kun’s awake now, but did something else scare you?”

“. . . Everyone is going to hate me,” After all, he is the reason they died. He damned half of them to death and he couldn’t do anything to avoid it himself. How is he supposed to face any of them? God. He didn’t even think of this until Gonta woke up and now he’s just terrified of everyone else waking up.

 

And how is he supposed to face Kokichi or Kaito? It’s his fault. It was poison from his lab. He damned Kokichi to a life of loneliness and cruelly pointed out how hated he was. The whole time he made Kaito feel insignificant and useless to the point he was angry at him. And he kissed him. Why did he do that? How could he do that to him? Surely Kaito died hating him. Unknown to him, all these worries come tumbling out of his mouth like an endless waterfall of his self loathing and despair.

“What? No, Saihara-kun....” Kiibo could only frown as Shuuichi rambled. It hurt to watch their leader fall like this. He was only human - it made sense he’d break like this, but it still hurt. Out of those awake, Shuuichi was easily the worst off. Even if what he was saying was illogical, it was what he believed. All Kiibo could do was help the best he could, as helpless as he felt himself. “We don’t hate you, Saihara-kun. I suppose I can’t speak for those still asleep, but... there is no reason we should hate you in the first place. I said this earlier, but I believed you saved us rather than doomed us. Ah, not that it will be easy living in a place like this after something so terrible. Still... we do have a second chance. I would not consider myself a philosopher, but that means something, doesn’t it?”

“But it’s my fault they suffered so horrifically!” Shuuichi argues between his sobs. He wishes he could simply curl up in a ball and vanish in that moment. “They all damned me to death and wanted me to die! What’s going to stop them this time?!” The way Kaede looked at him with those tearful eyes. The burning rage and disgust in Kirumi’s. The utter insanity and anger in Korekiyo’s. The despair and sadness in Gonta’s tear-filled ones. That. . . that unknown look in Kaito’s as blood ran down his chin. The emptiness and dissatisfaction in Tsumugi’s. All those various looks said enough — a demand for his death.

“W-What are you... talking about?” It was Kiibo’s turn to get all teary-eyed. He pulled Shuuichi into a tight hug, almost as if he was trying to anchor him in place. “I-I highly doubt that’s true. You... had no choice. And we were scared. Some reacted out of anger, yes, but... I don’t believe that’s a fair assessment of their true personality. B-Besides, I don’t think many damned you in the first place. Do you honestly think someone as kind as Gonta would want your death? “

They didn’t think Gonta would kill but he did in the end. What’s stopping him from snapping his neck now once the grief is gone and there’s only anger left? Shuuichi whimpers and clings to Kiibo like he’s his lifeline.

 

“Even if I had no choice, that doesn’t mean it’s okay. . .” He sniffles. “I’m sure they hate me. . . A-And I . . . I’m a complete disappointment to Momota-kun and I was truly horrible to Ouma-kun too!”

“Of course not. It’d only be natural to feel guilt for something like that. But it wasn’t your fault is what I’m trying to say. We were forced into the killing game, just as you were forced to condemn us.” Kiibo sighed, his breathing shaky. “I don’t hate you. I highly doubt anyone currently awake hates you. We all made mistakes in the killing game, but I don’t believe that makes us irredeemable.”

He isn’t sure what to say, much less do.  Logically he knows Kiibo is right. They were forced into the Killing Game and many acted irrational in the face of fear, threats and pressure. It was solve a trial or die. But he. .  . he just can’t forgive himself. Shuuichi lets out yet another heartbreaking sob and clings to Kiibo in search of some comfort.

Kiibo can't help but let a few tears escape himself. Shuuichi had held it together so well in the Killing Game. To see him break nearly caused him physical pain. All he could really do was hold Shuuichi even tighter. He couldn't even bring himself to tell him things would turn out fine.

 

\---

 

Gonta squeaked but did as he was told, washing his hands and mindful of the glass in his palm. The water made him wince, though he tried not to make any noises, pulling out the bigger pieces of glass himself.

Once Gonta was done cleaning his hands Maki motioned for him to enter the back room. A small table was set up and she pointed to the chair as she opened up the first aid kit to get the necessary supplies.

Maki wasn’t the most helpful person at the moment but being the only one with any medical knowhow, she was occupied with Gonta. Once he washed his hands and pulled the larger shards of glass out, she used the tweezers to pull whatever remained. Using a cotton ball, she rubs alcohol over the cuts to make sure they’re properly cleaned to avoid infection. The entire time, her face was screwed into an expression of death and concentration.

Gonta, for once, was dead silent. Aside from small grimaces of pain, he barely even moved. He didn't need to be a genius to understand that the silence between them was rather awkward. They hadn't talked much in the killing game, and he doubted that would change any time soon. There was some lingering curiosity over what had happened after his "death," but Maki may not be the best person to ask at the moment. Even just mentioning Kokichi seemed to get her riled up. He kept his gaze entirely on his hand, only occasionally glancing up at the room around them. Shattered glass in the corner caught his eye, probably from that crash Maki had made earlier.

Maki lets out a loud sigh, rolling her eyes as she wraps the bandages around Gonta's hand.  "Stop that." She simply but firmly states.

"Huh? S-Stop what?" Gonta finally looks up at her, flexing the fingers on his injured hand. After a few minutes, he had started spacing out, no longer purposefully trying to ignore Maki. There was still a lot to take in, so he'd take any opportunity he could to think on it.

"You look like I stabbed a baby puppy or something." She sighs. "Dont do that shit."

"Eh?!" He was probably taking that a little too literally. "There aren't any puppies here!"

"No, I. . ." She places her head in the curve of her hand with an exasperated sigh. "You keep looking at me as if you’re scared or upset with me. What is with that shit?"

"O-Oh! Sorry, Gonta didn't mean to be rude. Gonta's just... confused, with a lot of things." He looked around them as if to prove his point.

"Welcome to the club," She sighs, shoving the supplies into the first aid kit and snapping it shut rather loudly. "No one knows jack fucking shit about what's going on and we're trapped in this room for the time being."

Gonta jumped when she closed the lid. "Oh, Gonta saw those big doors earlier. Are they locked? Um, Gonta could try and move them if that would help!"

 

...Fuck it, he couldn't ignore it anymore. Curse his boundless curiosity. "...Actually, Gonta was wondering about something. You, uh... seemed very angry about Ouma-kun. M-More than usual. Did... something happen?"

Something like a smile appeared on her face for a moment. She would have gladly assured him it was fine. He could eat something and rest before attempting to knock the door down. But he FUCKING. Asks About Kokichi. Her hands visible twitch and clench in a very obvious failed attempt to keep her cool.

 

"Why do you care about that bastard?!" Maki demands, reeling around to face him with fury. "He lied to you! He manipulated you! How can you care about such a shitty person!?"

Gonta jumps hard enough that he can hear the chair scoot back a little. Well, at least he knew he was right - he'd missed something. Something big. "W-Why would Gonta not care? Gonta doesn't understand Kokichi very well, but he's not bad!" ...Hadn't both himself and Kokichi revealed they worked on their plan together? "Wait, Ouma-kun didn’t hurt Gonta! Gonta and Ouma-kun worked together!"

“Oh bull-fucking-shit!” Maki snarls, her hands slamming down in the table while her red eyes burned into his head. “He made it clear he didn’t give a shit about you! He mocked you in your dying moments and laughed!”

He yelped and leaned as far back as he could, doing his best to make himself look as small as possible. Even if that did sound like something Kokichi would do, whether or not it was genuine was the question. "G-Gonta... would rather ask Ouma-kun himself, n-not believe someone else! Even if he did mean it, Gonta would still care about him!"

“He’s a goddamn liar! He’s full of shit and you know it!” She shouts back in fury. How can he . . . how can he be so fucking insistent in talking to that bastard?! How can he say that he would still care for him?! 

 

Even if his Motive Video said he ran an organization that didn’t kill. Even if his twisted plan meant he would die rather than survive if it succeeded. It’s. . . It’s completely illogical that anyone could care for a bastard like him!

 

“Kokichi Ouma deserves to stay in his fucking coma and die alone like the waste of space he is!”

 

Because, the truth is. . . she can’t forgive him for taking away the starlight from her universe. Even if that light never shined on her.

 

She knows damn well that she can’t compete with Shuuichi. He’s a fucking disaster but in an incredibly endearing way. Before Kaito even noticed, his eyes were always on Shuuichi, weren’t they? He’s such a good person, even if he’s timid and anxious. 

 

And at the end of the day, she knows she has to rid herself of these pointless and useless feelings she holds for Kaito, but she can’t ignore the anger she feels. She. . . She just wanted to be happy for once and it was Ouma who took every opportunity he could to reveal all her hideous qualities and robbed her of that chance . . . 

 

She wouldnt forgive him for that.

"Why are you saying that?!" There were tears in his eyes now. Even if Kokichi wasn't the greatest person around, wishing for someone's death... that was too far. This was just asking for the Killing Game to start all over again. Gonta stands, not exactly angry but far from letting Maki get away with saying something as awful as that.

 

"You can't want him to die! Ouma-kun is confusing, a-and lies a lot, and a lot of other things, but he's still a person! Everyone's done terrible things! We shouldn't want each other to die - w-what if another Killing Game starts, or someone kills him, or kills someone else?!" It occurs to him Maki probably wouldn't care if Kokichi was killed, but he avoids mentioning that. All he can feel is horror.

“I can’t want him to die?” She raises a brow before belting out with laughter before standing upright. “Watch me.” The fear of another Killing Game starting — a thought that never once occurred to her — did absolutely nothing to suppress her self-justified anger for that shit.

 

Unlike Shuuichi, who was the moon in Kaito’s universe, she was not a good person. She was nothing but a black hole that destroyed all she got close to.

He stands in shock for a moment. For someone to still genuinely want death after all they went through... he couldn't describe how it made him feel. "...Why?" His shock is quick to morph into anger.

 

"Why? Why do you want death?! We should be trying to heal, to- to get better! Asking for him to die will just hurt everyone!"

“Then, he shouldn’t have stuck his nose where it didn’t belong.” Maki spits. “Do you have any idea how many times my life has been ruined by people like him?  People who act superior by going behind my back, digging up information about me and telling everyone they know? Have people look at me with disgust because they get some out of context snippet or learning I’m some taboo child and opt to try and kill me before trying to get to know me? More than enough.” 

 

With a huff, she makes her way to the door before getting the last word in. “Besides, someone like him won’t be missed. You’ll get over him in time.” And with that said, she closes the door behind her.

"That's not-!" Gonta huffs and sits back down once the door is shut. The urge to hit something is strong, but he doesn't listen to it. More destruction was the opposite of what they needed right now. Instead he lays his head in his arms, resolving to prove to Maki he would keep caring about people and Kokichi, even if she wouldn't.

 

\---

 

An awkward tension was evident as Maki stormed out of the room. Just as she opened her mouth to speak static crackled in the air.

  
_ Oh. Oh dear. They really did a number on the equipment here. _

  
Maki narrows her eyes and glares at nothing in particular. She had no idea who that was, but there was the possibility that it was someone who may have taken them captive and locked them in here in the first place. After a few moments of quiet contemplation, Gonta poked his head out of the door as well, slapping his hands over his ears at the static.    
  
“Huh?!” Gonta looked up at the ceiling. Is that where it was coming from? The only possibility was that someone from outside the facility had gotten in, with access to a speaker system.

  
  


_ I’m professor Iidabashi, _ the voice introduces.  _ Aaaaand where is my son? _

 

His what.    
  
“P-Professor?” Kiibo looked up sharply from the hug he was still giving Shuuichi. The Professor had a son? He had no idea! But. . . why come here to look for him?    
  
“I-I’m sorry, I don’t know if we can help. But... it’s so nice to hear your voice again, Professor!”

## 

\---

 

In the security office Tetsuya squints his eyes and moves his face closer to the monitor. Fiddling with the camera control he manages to locate his boy, wedged between the pods for Gokuhara-kun and Harukawa-san. His finger immediately smashes against the screen and a smile stretches across his face.   
  
“There you are Kiibo, my beloved precious son! Are you okay? Anything hurt or broken? Your medical chip blipped out and gave me quite a scare! And son, I told you it’s okay to call me dad in front of your friends!”

  
\---

 

What.    
  
Out of the corner of his eye he spots a camera move towards his general direction. Kiibo stares at it, barely able to formulate a response to news like that.    
  
“I... don’t understand. What are you-“ He’s interrupted when a sharp pain hits his head and he’s quickly on the floor, clutching at it with a cry of pain. Gonta immediately rushed over to Kiibo.    
  
“K-Kiibo?! What’s wrong?”

 

Shuuichi was completely caught off guard by Kiibo suddenly collapsing, on top of him no less. He squeaks in surprise and attempts to help his friend into a proper sitting position. While he anxiously watches his friend grasp his head in pain the mounted camera on the wall anxiously wiggles.

  
_ Kiibo? Kiibo! What’s wrong? Is it the implant in your skull? A malfunction in the connector nerves? Kiibo! _

 

\---

 

_ White light floods his vision. Images come to him, most blurry, some not so much.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Memories.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ He saw himself. Young, probably barely a toddler, walking towards a woman’s outstretched arms. Her face was blurrier than everything else, but the smile on her face was so warm, Kiibo couldn’t help but feel drawn to it, even now. Was that his mother? _ _   
_ _   
_ _ He wobbled his way to her, happily collapsing in her arms. A strange sound escapes him, something between a warble and a laugh. Was that what babies sounded like?  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Behind him was his professor’s - no his father’s - voice.  _ _   
_ _   
_ __ “That’s my boy! Look at him go! Aren’t you proud, honey?” The memory was starting to fade away, but he could hear the happiness in his mother’s voice and feel her warmth as she kissed his forehead.    
  


\---

  
Kiibo opens his eyes with a start, jolting off of Shuuichi.    
  
“Father?!” No, that wasn’t right. “I-I mean... dad? Is that...”

  
\---

 

“Is that what?” Tetsuya questions, confusion and concern clear in his voice. The adult brings a hand to his face, anxiously biting the nail of his thumb as he tried to figure out what could be ailing his poor boy. Perhaps his son was genuinely questioning their relationship. Could the intruder have tampered with the Virtual Reality program and in turn messed with their memories? 

 

. . .Perhaps he shouldn't have gotten off the network after all. It seems he’s missed some vital information. 

 

“Ah, well, I can't quite check these details on that now.” the adult sighs over the intercom. “By now, I’m certain you’ve realized that the sideroom attached to the Pod Room isn't sufficiently equipped to properly support as many as it currently is. So, you will need to leave in order to survive, however, it seems while you were placed in cryostasis someone tampered with the function of a Virtual Reality program that was intended to keep your brain stimulated during the sleep. . . and boobytrapped the Vault.”

 

. . . Very quietly, they could hear the adult snickering and whispering booby. He very likely delivered the phrase 'boobytrap' in English purely for this joke to snicker at.

 

Kiibo had to look away at the mention of someone tampering with the Virtual Reality, only smiling and shaking his head at Tetsuya’s last comment. Was that why the Killing Game happened? Regardless... Kiibo was well aware they were trapped in the pod room anyway.    
  
“I... F-Father, I’m sorry, but we can’t leave this room. The door is barricaded from the outside.” Kiibo sighed, holding out an arm and letting Gonta help him off of Shuuichi.    
  
Gonta just laughed. “That won’t be a problem for Gonta!”    
  
Oh. Right. He’d totally forgotten just how strong Gonta was. He could probably easily bust the doors open, no matter what was behind it.

 

“Well, let’s be thankful for the small things.” Tetsuya sighs. “Many traps are placed around the exit of the room. Had any of you stepped out . . . well, I would need to make quite a bit of prosthetics.”   
  
Shuuichi winces at the adult’s melancholy tone as he connects the dots. It seems Kiibo’s prosthetics were due to an accident in the past and not, well, something else. He could only wonder what kind of horrific accident Kiibo got himself into to get so many prosthetics. “Ah, but you just woke up, didn’t you Gokuhara-kun? Are you sure you’re up to the task so soon?”

 

“Please don’t worry about Gonta! Gonta will be careful to not set off any traps!” Clearly misunderstanding the question, he helped Kiibo back onto the pod and headed over to the doors. The doors themselves were surprisingly unlocked, but giving resistance when Gonta pressed his weight against it. It was obvious there was quite a lot blocking the doors. Had he not just woken up, that wouldn’t be a problem, but this worried him. Still, he had to try.    
  
Taking a few steps back, Gonta waited a few moments before squaring his shoulders and outright charging at the doors. He practically through himself against them, and while the doors didn’t open, the sound of falling furniture was incredibly obvious. More worrying was the sound of snapping wires, some of the traps either breaking or activating. Breathing heavily, Gonta stepped back once more. Despite how tired he now was, he wasn’t stopping until those doors were open.    
  
Once more he charges at the doors. This time, they flew open, knocking down even more of the barricade.    
  
“Ah!” With a shout of surprise Gonta flung himself against the wall, just in time to avoid an axe swinging right toward him. Dangling from a rope, it slowly came to a stop.    
  
Kiibo was no longer paying attention. The second the doors were open he stood up, attempting to run past right as the axe stopped swinging. Finding his father was now first priority.

 

"Ah! Kiibo, what are you doing? I told you it's not safe! There are still many traps!" Tetsuya shouts over the intercom. The camera wiggles and flaps to express the adults obvious anxiety about having his son running in the halls at the moment. "Kiibo stop!!"

 

Kiibo didn’t get very far, wheezing and collapsing on the ground just past the doors.    
  
“I have to find you! Please!” He was desperate, so desperate to see his father again. How long had it been?    
  
“G-Gonta will help!” Pushing himself off the wall, Gonta helped Kiibo up. “Don’t worry, Gonta has very good eyesight, so he won’t run into any traps!”    
  
“T-Thank you, Gonta...”

 

Tetsuya responds by basically screeching like a panicked animal. The hushed sound of a printer follows over the intercom  and then stumbling footsteps as the adult ran out of the office, with photos of the halls and the traps that laid in waiting. Breathing heavily, his glasses crooked on his face, Tetsuya takes long strides in the direction of the Pod Room, hoping to run into his son before something disastrous happened.

 

“I... I have to find him.” Despite Tetsuya’s precious warnings, Kiibo was in no way paying attention to where he was going. Gonta, thankfully, kept to his word, guiding Kiibo around and over traps whenever necessary. Their pace was slow, due in part to Kiibo’s terribly weak physical condition.

 

Incredibly, Tetsuya happens upon them, but he slips on absolutely nothing and smashes into a wall. By a goddamn miracle, he doesn’t trigger a trap. Tetsuya jumps up to his feet once more and runs right up to his son. He wraps his arms around Kiibo's body and lifts the boy into the air and spins him around before smothering the boy in the tightest hug he could offer him, tears welling up in his eyes.   
  
"Oh, you’re alright, right Kiibo?" He sets Kiibo down on his two feet and begins to look over his prosthetics. He quickly notes they’re a bit old and rusted with age- he'll need to either repair or replace something for sure.  But, seeing his son okay and in one piece, Tetsuya can’t stop himself from kissing the crown of Kiibo's head.

 

Gonta lets Kiibo go the second Tetsuya rounds the corner, heading back to the Pod Room to give them some space. There are tears in Kiibo's eyes the moment his father lifts him up. He hugs him back as tight as he can, gripping onto Tetsuya's shoulders as he's set back down.

 

"I... I-I don't know. I-" No, he wasn't alright at all. Kiibo drops to the floor, clinging onto Tetsuya the best he can. He cried his heart out to his father, hands wrapping around his arm.

 

Tetsuya's eyes soften, filling with sorrow to see his precious son in such a sorry state. He has no idea what trauma he has endured with the VR system being hijacked but he's rather certain it was an awful experience for him and his friends. Tetsuya holds Kiibo a little tighter and gently rubs his backside as he tells him everything will be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yea we're fuckin back
> 
> comments are my lifeblood


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